Carragher: Liverpool rewarded for taking Cups seriously

Liverpool have impressed in cup competitions this season, reaching the final of the Carling Cup at the expense of Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester City and progressing to the fifth round of the FA Cup after beating rivals Manchester United 2-1.

Carragher believes the Reds' success is down to the respect they have paid to the tournaments.

"I put it down to the manager for putting out strong sides from the very beginning [in the Carling Cup] and giving the competition the respect it deserves," he said. "We're in the [Carling Cup] final and that's what we deserve for how much we've respected the competition.

"In the FA Cup we're only just starting - we've played Manchester United which was a great game for us and Oldham was difficult for us, 5-1 wasn't a true reflection.

"Hopefully we can win the Carling Cup, but when that's finished and put to bed, we'll still need to be in the FA Cup and keep something else to look forward to at the end of the season."